Summertime Thank You

Hello Friends! It has been so long since I have posted here, I feel guilty for not keep this up better. But then, it is my blog, a place for expression and not a place where I sell things. So, I can let go of the guilt right?

More changes have been taking place in my life over the past few months. And without boring the crap out of all of you with the mundane details, I will just give you some bits.

I hve made the decision to stop taking horticulture classes and have decided to work on my Masters in History instead. After talking to a great many people, it just makes more sense to get an advanced degree instead of another A.S. degree. If you have read my blog in the past you know that I love history. Not sure if I will teach it or not as I still have to go and actually sit down with the advisor to discuss how I can make that work into the program they have already. It is a very promising future for me.

Clark has finally gotten his assessment for Vocational Rehabilitation Dept. help to obtain a job. The process is just starting so, I have no details. He is excited at possibilities. His health and attitude remain relatively good despite not having much to do.

Our gardens have suffered terribly this year with all the heat. Many areas have been sorely neglected. We are just now getting back out to lay down compost and take out plants that are not doing good or are in the wrong area. We will move some plants now as living where we do, they will have some grow time before it becomes winter.

And my other area that has pushed stamping and crafting out a little is my living history hobby. For those of you who have viewed Civil War Reenactors before at battlefields and events at historic homes or sites. You might know what I mean.....the men in their uniforms and the women in their hoop skirts. Well, that gives you some idea. But, I am not the sort of person to just sit on a battlefield in a hoopskirt and watch the men fight. I am more interested in dressing period correct (which means hoops, corset, etc.) and participating in events that pertain to life at these sites. I am just getting back into this after many years away. I am slowly making friends with folks with similar interests...and attending conferences and workshops in the upcoming months. I may be starting a new blog to incorporate my love of history, we'll see....I may just be too busy to do much but attend classes.

The card I have chosen was sent to my In-Laws to thank them for meeting my husband and I in Chicago for my birthday weekend in August. I love Chicago but, feel now that I have nearly exhausted all the places in that city to visit. The Field Museum had an exhibit on the baby Mammoth that was found in Siberia.....so totally facisinating!

Thanks again for looking and reading about my life....such as it is!
Cindy

• Stamps - SU Feathered Friends
• Paper - SU Whisper White, Close to Cocoa (retired) and So Saffron CS, SU DSP (retired)
• Ink - Ranger Archival Black Ink
• Accessories - Prismacolor Pencils, Baby Oil, Blending Stumps, Chocolate Chip Satin Ribbon (retired)
  

New Cards to Share

Good Morning Friends! I have been trying to do some work with my Prismacolor Pencils at night while I relax in front of the TV with my husband. I do like to be with him at night even if he is watching something I don't really care for.

The little girl card is for our niece Jennifer who lives in Wisconsin. It will be her 7th birthday this week. She loves bling and those colors. I took a sheet of the DCWV DP and cut it apart to get the color combination I like. Then reassembled them. I popped up the flowers and added the acrylic sparkly dots. I still don't think I have the hair technique down yet......practice makes perfect though.

The classic car is for my brother in California he is turning 51 next week. He loves classic cars. In fact, that is what he does for a living.....work with cars. I don't ge to see him much anymore. Sending him some homemade hot sauce and more jars of jams and jellies.

The house mouse was a stamped image from Linda Bronson. I want to send one of our neighbors a thank you card for a wonderful evening we had at their house recently.

Hope all is well with you and your summer is not full of too much bad weather!
Cindy

Waaaay To Long Away.....

Friends, it has been far far too long since I have posted anything....really far too long since I have made anything worthy of posting. Since April life has been a roller coaster of sorts. Most of my time was spent divided between finishing the semester at college, preparing for Clark to transition out of school and gardening.

I did marvelously well with my class in Soils....earned an A. That will look nice on my transcripts should I ever decide on looking for a job some day. During that time I took some tests to find out if I was going in the right direction....I continue to have doubts about this field for my future. All the tests I took pointed to teaching....so, I will be checking that field out within the next few weeks.

Gardening in our yard certainly keeps getting better and better. Though takes more and more work it seems like. We added one new garden in the vicinity of our Oak Tree. Wayne put in a delightful edging which just finishes things off so nicely. Planted some Knock Out Roses and Lilac bushes. Then finished up another garden that was started last fall with more Knock Out Roses in a light yellow and Butterfly bushes with seeds scattered for now. Next year we will have the $$$ to plant a few more shrubs and perennials there. Still have to finish the paver walkway and build another. But, they will have to wait for fall. I will post some pictures of our gardens soon.

Clark's circumstances are a source of much worry and concern, always. It will take too long to post all of what has gone on in the past two months to put here and I am sure that most of you would just be too bored to read it. So, I will post again tomorrow with some pics of him and the story....cuz you know, I got stories!

Okay, about these cards......I was wanting something to do in front of the TV. So, I went through my SU Simply Scrappin' kits.....folks if you have never used these, they are wonderful for making cards and scrapbook pages!! I wanted to use up some of the older ones. That is what I did with this one.....Delight in Life. One of my all time favorite SAB kits! I made 32 cards all together here......I made another 30 something when I first got it. Not listing all the supplies, if you want to know something, just ask.

Thanks for looking. Have a wonderful summer weekend!

Cindy

Just Like You Thank You Notes

Good Morning Friends! Finished these up last week for my sister, Lisa. I had sent her a card mid-summer last year similar to the turquoise ones letting her know how much I love her. She made the comment that I should sell my cards because "they are just so lovely." Isn't she sweet?

Took me a little over three days to get all these finished. Don't know about you but I go into production mode when I have this many to do. All the cutting one day, stamping another and another to put together. Had fun and I hope she asks me to make some more again!

Thanks for looking! Hope you all have a great crafting day!!
Cindy

• Stamps - SU Just Like You
• Paper - SU Temping Turquoise, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Lovely Lilac and Whisper White CS, SU Flowers For You DSP
• Ink - SU Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Lovely Lilac
• Accessories - Stamp-a-majig, SU Grograin Ribbons (some retired), MS Butterfly Punch, Unknown Self-adhesive Bling, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, SU Scallop Border Punch, Paper Piercer
  

Many, Many Thanks!

Well, I am finally back and feeling like posting again. Though just like everyone else that has lost a parent, or loved one, you have good days and bad....sometimes good minutes and bad ones. I just wanted to say to all of you who extended a thought or prayer my way a couple of weeks back, thank you so very much.

I have posted on my SCS gallery many of the cards that I have been making using the Gamsol techique and Prismacolor Pencils. Though I must confess that I really like using the Baby Oil instead of the OMS. I feel it blends better and has a much nicer fragrance!

Hope you enjoy these for now. Tomorrow when I am not so tired I will post another of my cards and the Condolence cards that were sent to me.

• Stamps - SU Short and Sweet, Inkadinkado
• Ink - Ranger Archival Ink, SU Rose Red
• Paper - (Yellow and Blue ) SU Very Vanilla, So Saffron and Pacific Point CS, SU Jackpot DSP.....( Pink and Green) SU Whisper White, Basic Black and Regal Rose CS, Provocraft CS, SU Textured Whisper White CS, SU Raspberry Tart DSP
• Accessories - Prismacolor Pencils, Baby Oil, SU Small Oval Punch, Fiskars Scallop Scissors, SU Corner Rounder Punch, Grosgrain or Gingham Ribbon, Vintage Button
  

Thanks for looking and Happy Crafting!!

Cindy

Thank You Fairy Much!

Good Morning Friends! Found this lovely stamp at one of my local stamping stores. I know it will come in handy for our nieces as they are totally into Fairies right now! But, this is going to my husband's boss for inviting us to their Greek Easter celebration last weekend. Heading out to run errands...the mall, over to my folks to dig up some plants my Mom no longer wants and dinner at a friends house tonight. Hope you have a great weekend!

• Stamps - Whippersnapper, SU Short and Sweet
• Paper - Colorbok DP, Provocraft CS and SU Very Vanilla and Bashful Blue CS
• Ink - Ranger Archival Ink
• Acessories - Prismacolor Pencils, Baby Oil, Jelly Roll Pen, Dimensionals

Thanks for looking and Happy Crafting!!

Cindy

Humble Gratitude

This has been one of the best weekends with my hubby. He got home on Thursday night, Friday he had to work from home, I ran errands and then we went out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Not a real expensive place just a comfy, good italian food.....where we know most of the wait staff....says a lot doesn't it?

We had the staff in an uproar this time. We are into history and trivia so, we wanted to pass the time waiting for our food by trying to remember the placement of each state in relation to all the other states and the capitals. We started writing on our place mats.....got all the states in the right order but, were stumped on some of the capitals. So we asked our waitress and busser if they knew.....they didn't. But then they started asking some of the other staff...we were stumped on Montana, West Virginia and South Carolina's capitals. I know what they are now....see if you know them. We made our waitress laugh and she made the comment that we made her week!

For Valentine's Day we had a very relaxed one....hung around the house, took a nap, exchanged cards (he gave me a mushy one that made me cry), fixed some Kansas City Strip Steaks for dinner and watched a movie....Iron Man. Normally he gets me a funny one, so it was a nice change. Hope you had a nice Valentine's Day too.

Now to the card....this is a SFYTT Jan 10 challenge. My SCS friend, Michelle from western Indiana, turned me on to it. I liked the layout because it did challenge me to do something I would not normally do....that is design with more. Hope you like it!

• Stamps - SU Sidekick Sayings
• Paper - SU Kahki, Wild Wasabi and Really Rust CS,
• Ink - SU Chocolate Chip, SU Retired DSP
• Accessories - Assorted Buttons, Hemp Twine, SU Ivory Taffeta Ribbon, SU Old Olive Marker and White Gel Pen

Thanks for looking, always am grateful for your comments.

Happy Crafting!!

Cindy